Brevard, North Carolina
| Brevard, North Carolina | |
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| — City — | |
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| Coordinates: 35°14′30″N 82°43′43″W / 35.24167°N 82.72861°WCoordinates: 35°14′30″N 82°43′43″W / 35.24167°N 82.72861°W | |
| Country | United States |
| State | North Carolina |
| County | Transylvania |
| Area | |
| • Total | 4.8 sq mi (12.5 km2) |
| • Land | 4.8 sq mi (12.4 km2) |
| • Water | 0.0 sq mi (0.0 km2) |
| Elevation | 2,231 ft (680 m) |
| Population (2000) | |
| • Total | 6,789 |
| • Density | 1,412.6/sq mi (545.4/km2) |
| Time zone | Eastern (EST) (UTC-5) |
| • Summer (DST) | EDT (UTC-4) |
| ZIP code | 28712 |
| Area code(s) | 828 |
| FIPS code | 37-07720[1] |
| GNIS feature ID | 1009587[2] |
| Website | www.cityofbrevard.com |
Brevard is a town in Transylvania County, North Carolina, United States. The 2005 population estimate by the United States Census Bureau was 6,643. It is the county seat of Transylvania County[3]. The town of Pisgah Forest is considered to be part of the City of Brevard.
Brevard is located near the entrance to Pisgah National Forest and has become a noted tourism, retirement and cultural center in western North Carolina. A moderate climate, environmental beauty and cultural activities attract relocators to the area.
Brevard is the home of Brevard College a four-year liberal arts institution with nationally recognized programs in music and environmental studies. The town also is home to Brevard Music Center, one of the nation's preeminent summer music teaching and performance institutions. Brevard also has an extensive local music and arts community.
The area's many waterfalls have earned it the nickname,"The Land of Waterfalls." Some notable examples include Looking Glass Falls, Connestee Falls, and Sliding Rock.
The Mayor of Brevard is Jimmy Harris. To date he is the youngest Brevard Mayor to have been elected (age 37). He is currently serving his 5th term.
Brevard is home to the Brevard White Squirrel Festival [1] Approximately 25% of Brevard's squirrels are white squirrels, according to an annual survey conducted by the White Squirrel Institute. [2]
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[edit] Geography
Brevard is located at 35°14′30″N 82°43′43″W / 35.24167°N 82.72861°W (35.241625, -82.728701)[4].
According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 0.5 km². 0.1 km² of it is land and 0.21% is water.
[edit] Demographics
As of the census[1] of 2000, there were 6,789 people, 2,826 households, and 1,698 families residing in the city. The population density was 1,412.6 people per square mile (545.0/km²). There were 3,058 housing units at an average density of 636.3 per square mile (245.5/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 84.81% White, 11.53% African American, 0.22% Native American, 0.88% Asian, 0.07% Pacific Islander, 0.46% from other races, and 2.02% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.13% of the population.
There were 2,826 households, out of which 21.8% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 44.2% were married couples living together, 13.3% had a female householder with no husband present, and 39.9% were non-families. 36.0% of all households were made up of individuals, and 18.9% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.12, and the average family size was 2.73.
The population was distributed broadly among different age groups, with 18.3% under the age of 18, 12.3% from 18 to 24, 19.9% from 25 to 44, 21.3% from 45 to 64, and 28.2% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 45 years. For every 100 females there were 79.3 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 73.4 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $33,497, and the median income for a family was $44,489. Males had a median income of $26,929 versus $21,348 for females. The per capita income for the city was $18,256. About 7.61% of families and 10.7% of the population were below the poverty line, including 17.0% of those under age 18 and 5.9% of those age 65 or over.
[edit] Celebrations
Independence Day is a major event in Brevard. The celebrations include an annual fireworks display and a car judging competition. Streets downtown are blocked off for a festival including games, arts and crafts, and food vendors.
Other annual celebrations are Halloweenfest[5] and the White Squirrel Festival. The white variant of the eastern gray squirrel (Sciurus carolinensis) is often seen around Brevard.[6][7]
Christmas: Early in the morning runners come out for the Reindeer Run 5K Run. Street vendors appear in the afternoon after downtown is closed to traffic. The Christmas Parade proceeds down South Broad Street around noon, starting at Brevard High School and ending at Brevard College. There is a display of Christmas trees at Silvermont Mansion. After nightfall, a thousand luminaries are lit by some of the students from the High School as part of the Twilight Tour.[8]
[edit] Sports and Leisure
Mountain Biking: Due to the proximity of both The Pisgah National Forest and Dupont State Forest mountain biking opportunities abound. In all there are approximately 200 miles of bike trail in the county. The area is also home to The Pisgah Mountain Bike Stage Race and The Pisgah Mountain Bike Adventure Race.
Road Biking: The area is popular among road cyclists. The Blue Ridge Parkway is nearby and is by far the most scenic road route around.
Races: In addition to the Reindeer Run, Brevard also has the Flight of the Vampire 5K Run and 10K run on October 30, the White Squirrel 5K and 10K run, and the Firecracker 5K and 10k run.
Clubs: Glen Cannon Country Club is located just outside Brevard, offering golf, tennis, and pools. Brevard Health and Racquet offers tennis and swimming, in addition to a full gym with free weights, yoga, and kickboxing. The Fitness Factory and Brevard Rock Gym are located just down S. Broad St. from downtown, both are indoor all-season gyms.
Pickup sports: Brevard Ultimate Club plays weekly on Sundays at 4:15PM on the Recreation Fields behind the Elementary school on Ecusta Rd. Co-ed rec volleyball and softball are also popular.
[edit] Notable people
- Joseph R. Bryson (1893–1953), Member of the U.S. House of Representatives
- Gil Coan (1922- ), former Major League baseball outfielder
- Spencer Fisher (1976- ), mixed martial artist
- Courtney W. Hamlin (1858–1950), Member of the U.S. House of Representatives
- James Arthur "Art" Hefner (Jr.) (1913-1988), Negro Leagues baseball outfielder
- James A. Hefner, former president, Tennessee State University (son of Art Hefner)
- Clifford B. Hicks (1920–2010), author
- Allen Hunt (1964- ), radio personality
- Randy Johnson (1944–2009), American football player
- Moms Mabley (1894–1975), stand-up comedian
- Mickey Marvin (1955- ), American football player Oakland/Los Angeles Raiders
- Cliff Melton (1912–1986), Major League baseball pitcher
- Lauren Myracle (1969- ), author
- James Champlin "Champ" Osteen (1877-1962), Major League baseball infielder
- Charles H. Taylor, (1941- ), former member of the U.S. House of Representatives
[edit] References
- ^ a b "American FactFinder". United States Census Bureau. http://factfinder.census.gov. Retrieved 2008-01-31.
- ^ "US Board on Geographic Names". United States Geological Survey. 2007-10-25. http://geonames.usgs.gov. Retrieved 2008-01-31.
- ^ "Find a County". National Association of Counties. http://www.naco.org/Counties/Pages/FindACounty.aspx. Retrieved 2011-06-07.
- ^ "US Gazetteer files: 2010, 2000, and 1990". United States Census Bureau. 2011-02-12. http://www.census.gov/geo/www/gazetteer/gazette.html. Retrieved 2011-04-23.
- ^ Halloweenfest 2010, Heart of Brevard
- ^ White Squirrels: Brevard, NC. History of the White Squirrel
- ^ Roadside America: White Squirrel Wars
- ^ http://www.brevardnc.org/twilighttour.php/
[edit] External links
- Heart of Brevard website
- Brevard Chamber of Commerce
- The Hub and Backcountry Outdoors - A local bicycle shop and gear store
- The Pisgah Tavern
- Brevard/Transylvania Tourism Development Authority
- Historic Images of Brevard, from the Transylvania County Public Library
- Through the Woods to Brevard by Terry Ruscin, for Hendersonville News, October 8, 2006
- White Squirrel Institute
- Waterfalls in Transylvania County, Near Brevard
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